BOSTON — If hockey games were decided by experience, then the Bruins would already have a two-lead goal on the Canadiens entering Wednesday's Game 7.

This second-round series decider is the seventh straight season the Bruins have played a Game 7, setting an NHL record. It'll be their ninth total under coach Claude Julien, with a 4-4 record, although they've won four of the last five.

"That can only take you so far," Daniel Paille said of the Game 7 experience. "It's OK to get it, but you don't want to count on that. I've been part of both wins and losses, so it's just to stay calm and get you through a full game."

Of the players expected to see the ice Wednesday, 14 of the 19 Bruins have Game 7 experience, with a cumulative total of 70 games. The Habs have 11 players totaling 30 games.

Zdeno Chara will become the NHL's active leader in deciding games with his 11th. Patrice Bergeron and Milan Lucic each have four goals and two assists in eight career Game 7s.

Julien is coaching his 10th Game 7, including one as the Montreal coach against the Bruins in the 2004 playoffs. Counterpart Michel Therrien is coaching his first.

"A Game 7 is a Game 7," Julien said. "You go in there, you give it your best shot, as a coach, as players, as a team, and you go from there. We've been through those many times and you hope that your experience is going to help you get through those."

Based on history, goaltending could swing to Montreal. Tuukka Rask has a 3.87 GAA and .855 save percentage in two Game 7s, while Carey Price has a 1.91 GAA and .932 save percentage.

On the Bruins' side, it will be the first Game 7 for Matt Fraser, Torey Krug, Kevan Miller, Carl Soderberg and Reilly Smith. For Montreal, Nathan Beaulieu, Michael Bournival, Rene Bourque, David Desharnais, Alexei Emelin, Brendan Gallagher, Max Pacioretty and Dale Weise are all feeling it for the first time.

Newbies can be heroes too, though; Nathan Horton scored the overtime winner in his first Game 7 the last time the Bruins and Habs met in the playoffs.

"This is what we play for and we're excited for it," Miller said.

Due respect

The Canadiens haven't been quiet since winning Game 6. P.K. Subban noted he wanted to quiet the TD Garden crowd in Game 7, and on Tuesday morning Weise said the Bruins haven't respected the Habs.

"We're going to have to win Game 7 to fully get Boston's respect," the pot-stirring forward said.

"They're a great hockey team, and we're going seven games right now, so you have to respect them," Krug said Tuesday afternoon. "That's just another situation where we focus on ourselves and worry about what's going on in here."

Page 2 of 2 - Game 6 ended with a lengthy scrum including Andrei Markov spearing Chara in the groin, Chara punching Mike Weaver and Lucic and Jarome Iginla going after Weaver.

"This is playoff hockey," Julien said. "I don't see anything different from our series and the other series. It's as simple as that. I know we'd like to make more of it, but the tension, the intensity, the rivalry is there, so I think what we're seeing is what we should expect." …